Josh Morrisey, City of Spokane Parks & Recreation, Marketing Assistant, No Phone Number Available
Friday, June 23, 2017 at 3:18 p.m.
Young baseball players, supporters, community leaders, and donors gathered at Mission Park last Thursday to officially open Spokane’s first fully adaptive ball field for athletes with disabilities. The 12,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility includes a barrier-free, synthetic surface that allows children with assistive devices to move freely throughout the field, as well as 10-by-30-foot dugouts capable of accommodating wheelchairs and walkers. The project was made possible with generous contributions by Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, the Washington State Recreation & Conservation Office, local businesses and individual donors.
“Having a place to recreate offers so much joy and adventure to kids, and the life lessons they will learn on this field will make a positive impact on those all around us,” Mayor David Condon said during opening remarks. “Furthermore, it is another step in making our parks and our community even more accessible, inclusive and welcoming.”
Donor Irv Zakheim and Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation representatives Bill Tsoukalas and Mark McNaughton delivered additional remarks followed by a ribbon cutting. Players from the Bambino Buddy-Ball Division then officially broke in the field with a baseball clinic and pickup game led by the Ripken Foundation and Parks staff.
Phase II of the Ability Field project, including a new fully accessible ADA restroom facility, drop-off area, improved access pathways and site lighting will be completed this fall.
Thank you to our generous donors who made the field possible: Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, Zakheim Family, The Wolff Company, Northern Quest Resort & Casino, Inland Northwest Community Foundation, Washington Trust Bank, Avista Foundation, Gee Automotive, Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation, Garco Construction, DAA Northwest, Lakeside Capital Group, Numerica Credit Union, Mark Wilkerson, CoBank, Enterprise Holdings, Selinger Shone Foundation, and Murray Huppin.
